Originally Posted by
Will Stonehocker
Given that Residence Inn hotels with exterior-corridors are leaving the chain as they no longer meet brand standards and guest expectations, why is the Penthouse Suite in a Residence Inn hotel obsolete?
I would not use the term obsolete. I would just say it's an older concept.
Marriott switched its standards for new Residence Inns to buildings with elevators and interior hallways many years ago. Expectations for security and accessibility have changed. But there are still plenty of the old ones left. There's a place in Marriott for older Residence Inns that are well-located and well-maintained.
This subject has come up before on FlyerTalk:
Is Marriott Turning Residence Inns over to Sonesta?
Here are a few paragraphs I wrote in the earlier thread (with some modifications):
Residence Inn was acquired by Marriott in 1987. Initially, the brand standards continued to call for clusters of residential buildings with outside doors, including 2-story penthouses that were reached by outside stairways.
Around the mid-1990s, Marriott changed the standards for new construction to inside hallways and the elimination of 2-story penthouses. There were probably a number of reasons why Marriott chose to make the change, including accessibility, maintainability, security, liability, and evolving guest expectations.
For 25 years or so, the Residence Inn brand has grown to have primarily the "new" configuration.
It seems Marriott is happy to collect franchise and marketing fees from owners of older Residence Inn properties that maintain their properties properly.
Originally Posted by
SacTownGuy
Maybe I am a dummy but what exactly does a penthouse suite at a RI look like? Never had such a thing.
A Residence Inn penthouse suite is an apartment-like suite, The entrance is on the second floor at the top of an exterior stairway. Inside, the first floor has a living room with a fireplace, a kitchen with a table, and a bathroom. The first floor also has either a bedroom or a sitting room / office with a murphy bed. An interior stairway goes up to a loft bedroom with a second bathroom. It's terrific layout for families on vacation or who need long-term accommodations. But it's terrible for those for whom stairs are a problem.
Look for photos of penthouse suites at the following properties. (I've stayed at all three of them.)
Residence Inn Boulder:
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/trav...e-inn-boulder/
Residence Inn La Jolla:
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/hote...iego-la-jolla/
Residence Inn Albuquerque:
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/hote...n-albuquerque/